Multiple position fluid pressure actuated apparatus



3, 1953 I H. A. BLENKLE 2,661,724

MULTIPLE POSITION FLUID PRESSURE ACTUATED APPARATUS Filed July 1'7,195].

IN VEN TOR.

[fir hr 14. file/M76 firm 4 .05%

Patented Dec. 8, 1953 MULTIPLE POSITION FLUID PRESSURE ACTUATEDAPPARATUS Herbert A. Blenkle, Leonia, N. J., assignor to James P.Guarnieri, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York ApplicationJuly 17, 1951, Serial N0. 237,169

This invention relates to a fluid pressure actuated apparatus and moreparticularly to a means for moving a member, such as a piston inacylinder, selectively to any one of a plurality of predeterminedpositions and for maintaining such member in each of said positionsrespectively.

Frequently in hydraulically or pneumatically controlled mechanisms, itis required that an element be moved selectively to any one of three ormore positions with adequate power to assure completion of the movementand under control of selector means requiring relatively little power.Such a mechanism may be used for shifting gears of a gearchange'mechanism afiording substantially finger tip control. This isprovided by the present invention.

For example, a control might be desired by which a piston may bepositioned in its cylinder selectively at either extremity'of its strokeor at one or more intermediate points between the two extremities. Ifthe working cylinderis in a location removed from the control. position,so that a conventional type of follow-up linkage is either impracticalor impossible, then a control valve may be provided which operates inconjunction with a suitable porting arrangement in the working cylinder,so that proper pressure distribution and venting is secured requiringthe piston to assume a selected position and to be maintained in thatposition substantially positively by the pressure distribution and theex haust arrangement.

An important object of this invention, therefore, is to provide anapparatus-of the fluid pressure actuated type, by which a member can beselectively moved to and maintained at a plurality of predeterminedposition and wherein no additional mechanical linkage means arenecessary to effect certain intermediate positioning of the member, theinvention providing a simple and effective means by which a, remotecontrol is effective to exert a multiplied force if necessary to controlthe movement and positioning of the member in question.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be evident from thefollowing description,

of a preferred embodiment thereof. g

The invention may be summarized asproviding fluid pressure actuatedapparatus comprising a cylinder having a port thereto adjacent to eachend thereof and at least one port to said cylinder intermediate itsends. A piston is provided which is movable in said cylinder. The pistonhas a sufiicient width axial of the cylin- Claims. (01. 121-41) der toseal off any one intermediate port when the piston is at a predeterminedposition opposite such port. The invention also provides a valve means,preferably a rotary or plug type valve, having fluid pressureconnections to each of the ports of the cylinder respectively. In thevalve there is a housing member and a valve member movable relative toeach other, so that at least one of these members is movable. Means areprovided to supply fluid pressure from a suitable source thereof to thevalve. Suitable passage means are provided in the rotatable element orplug portion of the valve for the exhaust of fluid pressuretherethrough.

Specifically, passage means in the plug and in the housing of the valveare provided for connecting the source of fluid pressure simultaneouslyto ports adjacent to both ends of the cylinder respectively, whileexhausting fluid'pressure from a selected intermediate port of thecylinder, so as 'to position the piston opposite such intermediate port.Other passage means in the plug and the housing of the valve provide forselectively exhausting pressure through one of the. end ports of thecylinder, while supplying pressure to the other end port thereofrespectively, to hold the piston in a position adjacent to the end ofthe cylinder having the port through which the fluid pressure isexhausted. Means are also provided in the valve for minimizing the workrequired to operate it by reducing friction and by venting to exhaustany fluid pressure which might interpose an additional load on thevalve.

There is hereinafter given a more complete description of' oneembodiment of the invention, which is illustrated in the accompanyingdraw ings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic view with parts principally inlongitudinal section of apparatus embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a diagram development of grooved passages formed in theperipheral surface of the plug or rotor of the valve;

Figs. 3, 4, 5 and .6 are transverse sectional views of the valve plug,taken respectively along lines 3-3, 44, 55. and 66 of Fig. 1; and

Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10 are schematic representations of the cylinder andpiston portion of the apparatus, indicating several predeterminedpositions of the piston in the cylinder depending upon the position ofthe plug or rotor of the valve. Oneapparatus embodying the invention,which is illustrated in the drawings, includes a cylinder H having portsl2 and i3 adjacent to the respective ends and H; of the cylinder andhaving ports I! and I8 intermediate the ends of the cylinder. A pistonmovable in the cylinder H is shown suitably fastened to a piston rod 2!thereof by a nut is threaded on the end of the rod. of the cylinder Hthrough the end It thereof, passing through a suitable gland 22, whichis provided with a packing 23 of any suitable or conventional type forpreventing leakage of: the pressure medium employed.

The piston 20 is of sufficient width axial of the cylinder H to seal offanyone of the intermediate ports 11 or it when it is in a positionopposite either of such ports. To make this seal more efiective, thepiston may be pmvi'dedwith one or more pairs of piston rings 25, whichare so spaced that their outer edges are separated by a distanceequal atleast to the width of either one of the intermediateports' l1 and I 8which is to be sealed off, so that when the piston 25 is in a positionopposite either intermediate port, the rings 25 are located respectivelyon each side of the port, so that the piston acts in effect as a valve.The rings may be of any suitable mate rial and construction to effectthe desired sealing action".

A rotary valve generally indicated at 25 is connected to the cylinder Hby suitable fluid pressure conduits extending from valve 25 to each ofthe ports of the cylinder respectively. For this purpose, a port 21 inthe valve body or housing is connected by a conduit 28 to the port I2; aport 30 in the valve body or housing is connected by aconduit 3| to theport 13 of the cylinder; a port 32 of the valve housing is connected'through a conduit 331:0 the port I1; and a port 35 of the valve housingis connected to the port I8 of the cylinder through a conduit 36'.

The valve 26 includes a plug or rotor 31 and a housing 38. In the formshown, the plug' or rotor is a substantially cylindrical member and thehousing has a corresponding cylindrical chamber formed by a collarmember 40 and end members 4| and 42'. Suitable bolts 43' spaced aroundthe housing 38 maybe used to maintain the members 40, 4! and 42 of thehousing in their normal operative positions; The outer peripheralsurface 39 ofthe plug 31 and the interior walls of the chamber definedby the members 40, 4| and 42 of the housing 38 form a close sliding fitwith each other substantially preventing leakage or fluid-flow exceptthrough the several bores and ports as hereinafter set forth. The plug31 and the housing 38' may be rotated with res ect to each other by anysuitable means such as an axial shaft 45, which may be integral with theplug 31. The shaft 45 extends outwardly through a suitable packed gland45 in the member 42 of the housing 38. Suitable packing 41 maybeprovided in the gland 46 to prevent the leakage of fluid pressure alongthe shaft 45.

Fluid under pressure may be supplied to the valve 28 through a conduit48' from a suitable source of supply thereof (not shown) at a desiredpressure, the conduit 48 being connected toa port in the end member 4!of the housing, substantially co-axial of the plug 31. An axial port 50is provided in the plug 31 to receive fluid under pressure from theconduit 48 and conduct it to an inclined bore 5| in the plug 31. Anotherinclined bore 52 is provided in the plug 31 for the exhaust of fluidpressure therethrough, this bore having an exit end openin into anannular ex- The piston rod 2-! projects out' haust chamber 53 formed inthe end member 42 around the axial shaft 45 as shown. An inclined port55 in the end member 42 connects the chamber 53 with an exhaust conduit56. In the case where the fluid used is a liquid which is preferablyrecirculated through a suitable collecting chamber, and thence through apump, the outlet connection 55 returns the fluid to such a collectingchamber or sump, not shown, which provides a reservoir for the liquidfrom which it'may be drawn through the pump (not shown) to berecirculated; In the event that the fluid used is compressed air, it isusual to exhaust it directly to the atmosphere, so that in such case,the conduit 55 maybe omitted.

Suitable grooves are formed in the peripheral surface of the plug inappropriate spaced relation to register with ports formed in the housing38', which are connected with the ports of the cylinder ll through thefluid pressure conduits 28,.3l1, 33 and 36. The grooves may be arrangedin any suitable manner to effect the desired operation of the piston inthe cylinder. One such groove arrangement is shown in the drawings,wherein a groove 51 (Figs. 1 and 3) which is disposed wholly in a planetransverse of the plug 31 is connected with the inclined bore 5! by aradial bore 58 to suply fluid under pressure from the bore 54 throughthe bore 58 and the groove 51 to a port 66 in the housing collar member40 and thence through the port 21 and the conduit 28 to the port I2 ofthe cylinder H. An opening BI' is provided in the plug 31 in a commontransverse plane with the groove 51 and is connected through asubstantially radial bore 52 to the exhaust bore 52, so that when theplug 31 is ro tated to bring the openin 61 into registry with the port60 in the housing, fluid will be exhausted from the port l2 of thecylinder I! through the conduit 28-, the port 21, the port 69, theopening 61, the bore 62, and the exhaust bore 52 to the chamber 53, andthence exhausted from the valve- 26 through the exhaust port 55.

Another groove 63 in the plug 31 (Figs. 1 and 4) similar to the groove51' is in radial alignment with a port 55 formed in the housing member4!). which is connected with the port 13 in the cylinder H through theconduit 3!. The groove 63 is connected to the fluid pressure supply bore51 by means of a transverse bore 55. An opening 61 is formed in theperipheral surface as of the plu in the same transverse plane as thegroove 63 and is connected with the inclined exhaust bore 52 by a radialbore 68. When the opening 51 is rotated to bring it into registry withthe port 65 in the valve housing, fluid will be exhausted from the portl3 of the cylinder H through the conduit 3!, the port 30, the port 65,the opening 61, and the bore 88 to the exhaust bore 52.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 5, a groove 10 similar to the grooves 51 and 53is formed in the peripheral surface 39 of the plug 31 in radialalignment with a port H in the housing, which is connected through theport 32 and the conduit 33 with the intermediate port 11 of the cylinderH. The groove 10 is connected with the inclined exhaust bore 52 in theplug by a radial bore 12. When port 5 formed in the housing andconnecting with the intermediate port is through the conduit 35 and theport 35. The groove 13 is connected to the exhaust bore 52 by means of asubstantially radial bore 76. When the plug 3'5 of the valve is rotatedwith respect to the housing, so that the groove is is in registry withthe port '55 in the housing, fluid pressure may be exhausted through theport is of the cylinder, the conduit 3%, the ports iii? and 75, thegroove 73, and the bore It to the exhaust bore 52.

In the arrangement shown in the drawings, particularly Fig. 2, thegrooves are arranged in a pattern, each extending a predetermined numberof degrees around the peripheral surface 39 of the plug 5?, so that thevarious passages will be connected in a desired arrangement to move thepiston 25 in the cylinder i l by supplying fluid under pressure throughcertain of the ports of the cylinder, while exhausting fluid pressurefrom certain other ports, still other ports being closed both to prssure and exhaust.

For example, the position of the plug 37 of the valve indicated in Figs.1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 corresponds to the point in the peripheral surfaceindicated in the diagram of Fig. 2 as In that position, fluid underpressure may flow from the pressure supply bore to ports l2 and It atboth ends of the cylinder through the several passages, ports andconduits previously described. tion of the plug 5'1, fluid pressure isexhausted from port ll of the cylinder through the ports and conduitsdescribed. At this position of the parts, the intermediate port it isclosed both to pressure and to exhaust, see Fig. 6.

Thus at this position of the parts with the plug 3'! of the valve in theposition shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4., 5 and 6, fluid pressure is effectiveagainst the two sides 3i! and 8! of the piston 20. As the port I! isopen to exhaust, in any position of the piston other than that shown inFig. l, the fluid pressure on the side of the piston toward the port i!will be less than that on the other side, resulting in the movement ofthe piston toward. the port ll until that port is blocked by the pistonand the pressure thereupon becomes equal on both sides of the piston.This serves also to hold the piston at the desired point. This conditionwill be maintained at all positions of the plug 31, from about 0*" toabout 180.

From about 80 to about 2":0 of the peripheral surface of the plug, seeFig. 2, the piston will be similarly caused to move to and willthereafter be maintained at the position shown in Fig, 8, due to fluidunder pressure being continuously supplied to the ports 52 and I3 andbeing exhausted through the port 58, while the port I! is out off fromboth pressure and exhaust.

When the plug 3? of th:: valve is positioned at about the 3% position asshown in Fig. 2, the piston will be moved to the position illustrated inFig. 9. This is accomplished by the positioning of the opening '6'! inregistry with the-port 65, thus exhausting fluid from the port l3 of thecyl inder, while maintaining pressure to the port 12 and closing offboth intermediate ports I! and I8 to both pressure and exhaust.

In order to move the piston to the position shown in Fig. 10, the plug3'? of the valve is rotated to the 330 position, Fig 2, at whichposition the opening 5! is in registry with the port 65, so that fluidis exhausted through the port :2 as above set forth to the exhaust bore52. In this position, fluid pressure is maintained to the port itthrough the groove 83; and ports 47 and I8 In this posiplug or rotor ofthe valve may be moved rapidly from any one of its positions to anyother, so as selectively to position the piston l i in any one of itspositions shown in Figs. 7 to 10 inclusive, and with a minimum ofeffort. It will also be obvious from the foregoing that as manyintermediate positions as desired for the piston may be provided for inthe same way as the positions shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

In the illustrated form of the invention, the ports 60, 55, H and it inthe housing have been aligned to make connection with the plug at agiven line on the periphery of the plug. It will be understood, however,that additional sets of passages may be arranged around the housing onother similar given lines to make connection-f with the valve at variousother points in the housing, whereby a plurality of piston-cylindercombinations may be operated in a selected sequence or in other desiredmovement combinations. It is contemplated, for example, that all thevarious positions of the piston shown in Figs. '7 to 10 inclusive, couldbe provided for in a limited total angular range of movement of the plug31, for example 90. Thus, four or more separate cylinders could beselectively controlled by a single valve. Such an arrangement is to beconsidered within the purview of the present invention. Furthermore, itwill be understood that by rearrangement of the grooves on the peripheryof the plug and by changing the connecting ports and bores of the plug,various other desirable combinations can be achieved.

Referring to Fig. l and specifically to the valve 25 illustratedtherein, means may be provided to minimize the amount of effort requiredto turn the plug member 31. These means include ball bearings 85interposed between the plug 3! and the end member 42 of the housing toact against the thrust imposed against the plug by the pressure of thefluid entering through the supply conduit 43. In order further tominimize any thrust which may be imposed on the plug 31 by high pressurefluid seeping into the space between the left hand end surface of theplug 3? as seen in Fig. 1 and the end member 4| of the housing, anannular recess 86 is formed in the end of the plug adjacent to the endmember All. The recess 86 is connected through a very small vent passage81 with the fluid exhaust bore 52, from which any fluid flowing throughthe passage 81 may pass to the chamber 53. A suitable packing 33 may beprovided about an extended end portion 99 of the plug 3'! adjacent tothe fluid pressure inlet 50.

It will be evident from the foregoing description that the inventionfulfills the objects set forth and. provides a substantially positivemeans of positioning a piston selectively at several predeterminedpositions in a cylinder. For the purposes of obtaining exactly equalpressures upon both sides of the piston, it may in some instances befound desirable to provide an additional piston rod extending from theside of the piston in order to oflfset the relatively smaller area ofthe face 8| of the piston by reason of the piston rod 21. However, forsimplicity, such an additional piston rod which is a well knownexpedient in the art, is not illustrated in'the accompanying drawings.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, there isherein described the principles of operation of the invention, togetherwith the elements which are now considered the arcane meie edeaibo mntsz h reei= It 1 4 9 t-under; teeds ow v r, at. e; t uct re is l e onlyillustrative, and'that theinvention can be carried out by other means,-Various modifications and equivalents will; occurto those-skilledin-theart: from the foregoing disclosure, I do not wish to be limited,therefore, except by, the, appended claims, which are to be construedvalidly as broadly as the state of the prior art, permits.

What is claimed is:

1. Fluidpressure actuated apparatus, comprising a cylinder having a portthereinto adjacent to each end thereof, and at least one port to saidcyl-,

inder intermediate its ends, a piston movable in said cylinder andhavinga sufhoient axial extent to seal oil. one only of such intermediateports when said piston is at a single predetermined po-v sition oppositeeach such intermediate port in spectively, a valve having ahousingmember and a inemher withhi said housing, saidmembers of said-valvebeing relatively movable, fluid pressure connections from ports in onemember of said valve to each of the ports of said cylinder respectively,means to supply fluid pressure from a source thereof to the other memberof said valve, means for the exhaust of fluid pressure from said othermember of said valve, the members of said valve having a predetermineddiilerent relative, position for each desired position of said piston insaid cylinder respectively, which positions of said piston arerespectively substantially at each of said ports, to said cylinder, apassage in. said other member of said valve from said fiuidpressuresupply meansto the valve port communicating with oneend port of saidcylinder at a first and at all the intermediate of said positions ofsaid piston and of the members of said valve, a passage in said othermember of said valve from the fluid pressure exhaust means to the valveport communicating with the other, end of said cylinder at said, firstposition or the members of said valve, a passage in said other member ofsaid valve from the fluid pressure exhaustmeans to the valve portcommunicating with said one end port of said cylinder at a last positionof the members of said valve, a passage in said other member or" saidvalve from said fluid pressure supply means to the valve portscommunicating with said other end port of said cylinder at said last andall intermediate of said positions of said members of said valve, apassage in said other member of said valve from said fluid pressureexhaust means to the respective intermediate valve ports of saidcylinder for each of the intermediate positions of said piston and thevalve members respectively, and means forming a part of said othermember of said valve for blocking communication between all intermediateports of said cylinder to both said fluid pressure supply means and saidfluid pressure exhaust meansexcept as aforesaid.

2 Fluid pressure actuated apparatus in accordance with claim 1, in whichsaid valve is a rotary valve said members of which comprise a relativelystationary housing and a rotor mounted in said housing for rotation inrespect thereto about a predetermined axis; and in which said means tosupply fluid pressure and said means for the exhaust of fluid pressureto and from said valve respectively comprise a supply conduit for fluidpressure passing through one end of said housing and means for theexhaust of pressure fluid in the other end of said housing, bothsubstantially concentric with said axis; in which said fluid pressureconnections from said valve 8 toeach of the ports of, said cylinder.respectively compriseconduit means communicating between the, respectiveports of said cylinder and said housing of said valve; and in which saidpassages in said other member of said valve comprise bores and groovesin said rotor selectively connecting the ends of said rotor to whichfluid pressureand exhaust are connected as aforesaid with ports in saidhousing, so as selectively to supply pressure toand exhaust pressurefrom selected ports in said cylinder.

3. Fluid pressure actuated apparatus in accordance with claim 1, inwhich the piston has at least two predetermined intermediate positionsrespectively opposite at least two intermediate ports to said cylinder,and in which the valve arrangement is such that a single relativemovemerit of the members of said valve in one direction from onerelativeposition of such members to another will control the flow ofpressure and exhaust to and from the several ports of said cylinder, sothat said piston will be moved successively from one end of saidcylinder through all intermediate positionsv of said piston oppositesaid intermediate ports of said cylinder respectively to the other endof said cylinder and vice versa.

4. Fluid pressure actuated apparatus, comprising a cylinder having aport thereinto adjacent to each end. thereof and a plurality of ports tosaid cylinder intermediate its ends, a piston movabl in said cylinderand having a sufficient axial extent to seal off each such intermediateports when said piston is at predetermined positions respectivelyopposite such intermediate ports, a rotary valve including a housing anda rotor mounted therein for rotation about a predetermined axis, fluidpressure connections from said housing to each of the ports of saidcylinder re-- spectively; said rotor having an inclined bore thereincommunicating with one end of said rotor and having a second inclinedbor therein sepa: rate from the first named inclined boreand-communicating with the other end of said rotor, means to supplyfluid pressure to said housing to one end thereof and in a mannersubstantially axial of said rotor, means for exhausting pressure fromthe other end of said housing coaxially with said rotor, so that one ofsaid inclined bores of said rotor is continuously supplied with fluidpressure, while the other inclined bore of said rotor is continuouslyopen to exhaust, other bores in said rotor connecting said inclinedbores with the surface thereof and arranged selectively 'to registerwith ports in saidhousing, so as selectively to supply fluid pressure toor to exhaust from or to seal ofi said ports of said cylinder inresponse to rotation of said rotor, said valve being constructed andarranged, so that (a) at one position of said rotor with respect to saidhousing, pressure will be supplied through said valve means to one ofsaid ports at a first end of said cylinder, while pressure is exhaustedthrough said port at th other end of said cylinder, and while allintermediate ports of said cylinder are closed to exhaust, (b) at asecond position of said rotor in respect to said housing, pressure willbe supplied to said other end of said cylinder and simultaneouslyexhausted from said first end of said cylinder, while all saidintermediate ports are closed to exhaust, and (c) at an additionalpredetermined position of said rotor in respect to said housing forpositioning said piston opposite each of said intermediate portsrespectively, pressure will be supplied simultaneoush to both end portsof said cylinder and will be exhausted from the one predeterminedintermediate port of said cylinder opposite which said piston is to bepositioned, while otherwise preventing exhaust of pressure from saidcylinder.

5. Fluid pressure actuated apparatus in accordance with claim 4, whereinthe fluid pressure supplied to said valve communicates with the interiorof said housing axial of said rotor and at one end thereof, this end ofsaid rotor having a relatively small diameter extension J'ournalledin acorrespondingly shaped portion of said housing, which is provided withpacking means for preventing flow of fluid pressure past the packingmeans to the space between the end of said rotor and said housing, andwherein said space between the end of said rotor and said housingincludes an annular chamber, and passage means 10 connecting saidannular chamber to the inclined exhaust passage in said rotor, so as tominimize axial thrust on said rotor incident to leakage of fluidpressure past said packing to the space between said rotor and saidhousing.

HERBERT A. BLENKLE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,046,529 Winton Dec. 10, 1912 1,892,187 Drennon Dec. 27, 19322,481,426 Hull Sept. 6, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 848,833France Aug. 7, 1939

